IBM Watson digs deep on data to pave the way for enterprise AI apps

On Thursday, IBM announced new capabilities for its Watson Data Platform that make it easier for developers and data scientists to analyze and prepare enterprise data for artificial intelligence (AI) applications. By 2018, nearly 75% of developers will build AI functionality into their apps, according to an IDC report. However, this requires wading through increasingly complex data that lives in different places, and must be continually and securely ingested, according to an IBM press release. In response to this challenge, Watson will now include data cataloging and data refining, to improve data visibility and better enforce data security policies so that users can more easily share information across public and private cloud environments. "We are always looking for new ways to gain a more holistic view of our clients' campaign data, and design tailored approaches for each ad and marketing tactic," Michael Kaushansky, chief data officer at global advertising and marketing consultancy Havas, said in the release.